The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-09-03


topmost sail of ship hull down behind the
sea-line, trembling in the swimming hot re-
fraction that hove it up as a thing apart.
But the keen eye Of the sailor knew better.
What he saw was not ships sail, and
without word he mounted to the upper
main-topsail yard, and there made out the
object to be boat, with apparently shirt
or two lifted as a signal or sail So weak
was the wind that long hour went by be-
fore the boat could be seen clearly with the
eye; but ere this the telescope had detect
ed the presence of several men in her, and
the wet sparkle Of oars and the disappear
anee of what had served for a sail showed
them to be rowing towards the bark. The
second mate looked from the boat upon the
water to the port-quarter boat hanging
griped at the davits, and exclaimed, "Tm
Dutchman if those men there are not the
bark's crew." The others peered and
agreed, for both boats were as alike as can
te conceived, white, of whaling pattern,
and couple of black disks painted on the
bows. The bark was headed directly for
the poor fellows, and man stood ready to
heave line to them The labored, languid
movement of the oars sufficiently marked
their condition. 1t was like the action of
the antenne of some dying insect, and
more pathetic than a cry Of suffering. The
boat approached, the men pulled in their
oars, and fell to gesticulating, making many
piteous motions Of entreaty, and pointing
to their mouths
"They want water !" exclaimed the mate
breathlessly.
The coil of line was thrown; one in the
bows caught it with trembling hands and
took turn round thwart with it, and
then stumbled, nor did he seem able to rise,
though he held to the line with the tenacity
of dying grip. There were four of them,
and they were so weak that they had to be
lifted over the side. Coleridge speaks of
thirst making a man grin. The torment
in these poor creatures had wrought an
uglier distortion of countenance even than
the stimulation of mirth in anguish, and
their sole gasp was "Water," as they sank
down upon the hot deck, with lips as white
as the planks, and froth like sea-foam ooz-
ing from the corners of their mouths.
1t was some hours before any one of them
was fit to tell the story of their disaster,
and then this was the substance of the re-
lation of the oldest of the four, who had
rallied sooner than his mates. Their ship
was the bark that Mr.. Matthews was now
in charge of. They had sailed from Hull
two months previously, and while wind
bound in the Downs two of the men sneak
ed ashore in galley punt and ran away,
and the vessel put to sea short-handed to
that extent. Some days after sailing the
Captain was found dead in his bed. This
was the first of series of misfortunes.
Before fortnight had passed the chief
mate was stricken with kind of fever from
which he never recovered, though he contin-
ued to navigate the ship down to within
! twelve hours of his DEATH This left eight
men. The carpenter, acting as second
mate (an uncertifcated NAM, took charge.
In the fifth week, while reefng topsails, a
man fell from aloft, struck his head, and
shortly afterwards expired. Another man
not long after was disabled by the slipping
of the forecastle capstan, and in less than
week his mates gave him the sailors last
toss over the side This left fye>men-so
carry on the ships work. The number
would certainly have suffced, but three days
before the Guide sighted the bark the sec
ond mate, who was hanging over the stern
to get view of the rudder, fell. The YES
sci was then going at some six or seven
miles an hour, and before the boat could
be lowered the man was a long distance
astern. Banks of vapor similar to those in
which the Guide had steamed had been
moving before the breeze over the face Of
the waters throughout the day, and there
fore it was an act of singular indiscretion
on the part of the crew to quit the bark.
They were chiefly urged, however, by the
consideration that the second mate was the
only man in the ship who could take
sight or work out the dead reckoning, and
that without him their plight would be des-
perate indeed. They left a young ordi-
nary seaman behind to bring the bark to
the wind and rowed away in the direction
where the second mate was swimming
but soon after they had gone fog bank
rolled down on the vessel, the wind at the
same moment freshened trife, the weather
thickened about them, and being unable to
see anything of the Ocean Star during the
afternoon they lost her for good in the
night
Such was the poor fellows story, and it
explained much for the mystery of the
abandoned bark. The rest could only be
conjectured; but when the survivors of
the original crew came to talk the matter
over with Mr. Matthews and his men, they
agreed among them that the ordinary sea-
man who had been left behind was in the
vessel when the Guide sighted her; that be
had put the fowl on to cook for his dinner;
that on the steamer heaying in view he
heaped Goals on to the galley-fre with the
idea, perhaps, of inviting assistance by such
signal as smoke would make; that he had
lighted the forecastle lamp and left it burn
ing; and that the ill-luck of the ship pur-
suing him he must have fallen overheard,
probably while springing on to the rail to
watch the steamer IF this was not Sc,
there is no other solution of the mystery of
the Ocean Star, and the trimmer was right.
BREAKING DowN.-Men often have